Justice and Peace

Walking home from shopping on a gloomy afternoon, I was struck by the Cockermouth War Memorial statue outlined against the fading blue sky. It seems to be saying to me, "HOPE".

At this time of year, my thoughts always turn to my hopes for the coming year mingled with regrets at things still left unfinished or undone. I suppose I was in this frame of mind when I looked up at the statue. The life-size bronze figure represents Justice and Peace. 

177 names from World War I are recorded on the memorial, which was unveiled on 24th September 1922. According to the Royal British Legion website, there are over 100,000 war memorials in the UK alone. A statistic to give pause for thought.